Fran Batten knew she was too old for teenage acne – but her red raw skin was ruining her life
Looking in the mirror, I sighed at the angry red marks dotted across my forehead. At 31, I’d never suffered from any skin issues before, not even as a teenager but now sore bumps left me self-conscious – I couldn’t even leave the house without putting on make-up.
It was November 2015, and I was rushed off my feet helping to plan the end-of-year festivities at my kids’ school. ‘I just need to drink more water,’ I told myself firmly. But it didn’t seem to help. Next, I turned to expensive creams from luxury brands, hoping a new skincare routine would whip my skin into shape. I slathered it on to my forehead and cheeks, but my skin felt like it was on fire. Weeks of more water, new products and early nights followed, but nothing was working.
Finally I booked an appointment with a GP. ‘It looks like cystic acne,’ he said, prescribing me antibiotics and medicated creams. For a while the pain lessened slightly, though my skin never properly cleared.
VICIOUS CYCLE
Then in early 2016, I had devastating news. My beloved mum passed away suddenly, shortly after being diagnosed with liver cancer. I was heartbroken, grieving and understandably stressed and my skin broke out with a vengeance. It was way worse than it had been before and spread across my cheeks and nose. Not even the GP’s prescribed medication could calm it.
I was referred to a dermatologist who diagnosed rosacea. And while I was glad to have a definitive diagnosis, the prescribed creams and ointments still didn’t help. I felt utterly self-conscious.
Once the kids had gone to bed I would trawl the internet searching for new treatments. I tried too many products to count but nothing helped. My face burned red and tight and it was even painful to smile. Each day I’d wake up, slap make-up over my sore skin, knowing it was making it worse. It was a vicious cycle. Everywhere I went, I felt as though people were looking at me. They must think I’m dirty, I thought to myself miserably.
Then in 2017, my sister rang me at work. ‘I’ve just read online about this gentle skincare brand,’ she said. ‘It’s called Kalme – it’s got to be worth a try?’ At first I was dubious, I’d tried everything after all. But I had little to lose. I applied it and… nothing happened! I was so used to the stinging sensation caused by other products that I assumed it wasn’t strong enough to tackle my rosacea. But I kept applying,
